Fly swatter



May 10, 1932. c@ T. KIRKBY FLY SWATTER Filed March 20, .1950

Patented May 10, 1932 i I I i I I UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE" 1 I CLYDE 'r. KIRKIBY, or CHICAGO, ILLInoIs FLYASWAT'IER Application filed March 20, 1930. Serial No. 437,295.

This invention relates to a fly swatter and in which the supporting member for the swathas special reference to a toy gun provided ting disk is of a smaller or different diameter with a swatting member adapted to be forci than that ofthe actuating plunger to which it bly projected to kill a fly or other insect when is attached. I i 1 L prloperly aimed. Another object of this inventionis to pro- 1455.

. ore particularly,this invention relates to vide a device as hereinbefore mentioned in a fly swattercomprising a swatting disk se- Which the actuatingmeans for the plunger cured to a resilient supporting member on carrying the swattingdisk extends substa the end of a plunger, the plunger being guided ly p r l l t and adjacent to h in a housing in the form of a gun or rifle and plunger. I

being actuated to the release, of a trigger by a A S ill further Object of this invention is rubber band or other like means extending to provide a device as recited above in Which substantially parallel with said plunger and plunger. andactuating means there adja nt the t I are housed in the casing, the latter. being .1 The device of this invention is primarily formed OfEL single piece 0f SllGQilIIlfitGIld-lfifld to afford considerable amusement to children havinga guidingftube insert d he ein and at the same time to achievea useful result supporting the plunger. I. in an effort to exterminate flies and other in- A150, it is the Object i t i n i sects. It is known that the force with which pr i a fly wa i hw be c p a- 2c th tti di k i j t d lth h ffitlvely inexpensive to manufacture simple in 7o cient to kill a fly, will not-mar the furniture Construction, and (ililablnor break delicate objects on which flies may h r j ts nd advantages Willhereinlight. The rapidity with which the article of after be r pa ti l y poin d; out and this invention operates will not permit the r a m r omplete i ndorSt-andingof. the escape of the insect by frightening before the Characteristic e t of this invention e disk is close thereto as is the case when an ordieroIlCo ay n w b had to the following denary fly swatter is swung through th air, scription when taken together with the ac- Applicant is awareof fly swatters of the c p yi g w g in which a er: I

same general characteristics as the one hereg r 1 S a V r i l l ngitudinal Sec i n l 53 in described, although in those prior art de- Y W i the device of this invention; Y vices, the actuating means for the plunger g- 2 iS an elevationill v w of a f gis disposed axially thereof and interferes with mentary portion of the device shown in F ig-. the operation thereof as well as provides a ure 1 With the plunger thereof in an exrasping nose which isnot desirable to the tendedposition;

I elders of the probable users. The device of Fig. 3is a sectional view taken'onthe line I this invention is believed to further improve -3 f ig r 'l I I a J upon the present known devices by reason of Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line the plunger being positively guided in its re- P4 o Figure 1; I I ciprocal movement and, further, by reason Fig. 5 is a persp i View Of gg of the'plunger rod having a pad at its outer of the device of this invention; and end to prevent the marring of furniture and Fig. 6 is a sectional viewtaken on the line the like. A helical resilient supporting mem- 66 of Figure 1. 1 I I I ber carrying a wire disk is mounted on the Referring now more particularly to the outer end of the plunger and is of a substandrawings, the device of this invention comtially smaller diameter than the diameter of prises a gun barrel 10 preferably formed in the plunger. The plunger .is given a necesa single piece, as shown more particularlyin sary rigidity not essential to that great a dethe sectional view of Fig. 6, whereina single gree in the helical supporting member. sheet of tin or other metal is formed into a One of the objects of thisinvention is-to cross section of oblong-shape having-flanges provide a device of the character noted above 11 bent back from the point of meeting on the underneath side of the barrel, the flanges being. engaged by a securing member 12 of a C-shaped cross section. After the elongated strip of material is formed into the barrel 10 and the lower edges thereof are formed in an abutting relation the securing strip 12, which I is substantially the same length as the gun barrel, is inserted to encompass the fianges. The securing member 12 has a slidable engagement with the flanges and is moved forwardly into position after the forward end of the flanges 11 are threaded into one end of the securing member. In lieu of the above securing member, the edges may join on the underneath side and be soldered in the usual manner.

The gun barrel 10 is secured to a handle portion 13, which latter may preferably be formed in two pieces clamped together by a pinl i at the lower end thereof and a pin 15 at the upper end thereof, the pin 15 having the further function of providing a pivotal support for the trigger, as will hereinafter be more fully pointed out.

A'guide tube 16 is. disposed on the end of the gun barrel opposite to that end which is secured to the handle portion and provides a suitable support and guidinggmeans for a plunger rod17, the latter being of substantial diameter and having a slidable engagement in the'guide tube. One end of the plunger rod 17 is provided with a U-shaped ofi-set portion 18, the extreme outer end 19 being formed at right angles to the axis of the plunger rod and in the direction of the shaped portion 18 for engaging alip--20 of a trigger 21-. I

Referring now more particularly to the illustration in Fig. 5 of the drawings in con nection with Figure 1, the trigger 21 is preferably formed of a single strip of material "comprising a body port-ion 22 having a finger piece 23 eXtend-ing therefrom in a downward direction, the lip 20 be ng formed as an upwardly extending POItlOlTtllQrGOf and being bent substantially. at right angles to the body portion and rearwardly thereof. The body portion is supported on ears 24 which are preferably likewise stamped of the same sheet of material and bent at right angles to the body portion, the ears 24: having circular apertures 25 into which the pin 15 is journalled. The trigger is normally urged outwardly from the handle portion of the gun by meansof a spring 26 and is limited: in the movement thereof by means of projections 2 la striking against the handle, the spring being sufiiciently stiff or strong to overcome the actuating means forthe plunger 17.

The plunger 17 is reciprocally mounted in the gun barrel and guide tube, the plunger bein tman'ually urged within thegun barrel a su cient distance to engage-the end portion 19' with the lip 20 of the trigger 21. The aetuati-n'g member, or, as. shown in. the drawto the hook-shaped portion 28 of a detachable end plug 29. The plunger 17 is limited in its forward movement by a removable pin or screw 30 disposed close to one end of the gun barrel. The U-shaped portion 18 of the plunger 17 strikes against this pin or screw 30 when it lifts the forward position after it is released by the trigger 21.

Should the elastic member, rubber band, or other actuating means 27 become broken or in any other manner inoperative, the gun is readily dismantled. For example, the pin or screw 30 may be removed together with the detachable end plug29, whereby the guide tube and plunger may be readily lifted out of the barrel. After the actuating means is replaced between the hook of the end plug 29 and the U-shaped portion 18 of the plunger, the tube 16 is readily inserted into the end of the barrel 1 0, the pin. 30' replaced and the end plug forced into engagement with the end of the barrel.

A helical resilient supporting; member 31 is secured to. the end of the plunger 17 the member having a conical outer 'contour,.the apex end: of the helical wire being wound around. the end of the plunger and threaded through an aperture therein and the base end of the helical cone being secured to the outer periphery of a swatting disk 32. The swattinig; disk 32 is preferably formed of an annular disk of wire netting preferably bound by a cloth. binding material 83-. A

small felt disk 34i-s disposed at the end of the plunger 17 andis sewed or otherwise secured to theupper helices and acts as a buffer for the end of the plunger 17 when it is. projected outwardly from the gun into the position shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted. that the diameter of the plunger 17 is substantially greater than the diameter of the wire form'- ing the helical resilient supporting member 3% therefore prevents-a misuse of the plunger While but a single embodiment of this-invention isherein shown and described, it is to be understoodtliat various modifications scope of this invention and, therefore, the.

same is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and the prior art.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a barrel housing, a plunger longitudinally reciprocal in said housing and comprising a rod having an offset portion on the inner end thereof for arresting the movement in one direction, actuating means lying adjacent said rod and extending between and connected to said offset portion and the outer end of said housing, a trigger for engaging said plunger, a resilient supporting member comprising a helical wire of substantially less diameter than that of said plunger on the outer end thereof, and a swatting disk on'said supportingmember, said disk being forcibly projected bysaid actuating means at the release of said trigger.

2. A device of the character described comprising abarrel housing, a plunger longitudinally reciprocal in said housing and comprising a rod having an ofiset portion on the inner end thereof for arresting the movement in one direction and an end portion adjacent said offset portion at substantially right angles to the axis of said rod, actuating means lying adjacent said rod and extending between and connected to said offset portion and the outer end of said housing, a trigger for engaging said end portion of said plunger, a resilient supporting member on the outer supporting member, said disk being forcibly I projected by said actuating means at the release of said trigger.

5. A deviceof the character described comrising a barrel housing, a removable plug r one end of said housing, a plunger longitudinally reciprocal in said housing, actuating means lying adjacent said plunger and extending between and connected to one end of said plunger and vsaid removable plug, a trigger for engaging said plunger, a resil-' ient supporting member on'the outer end of said plunger, and a swatting disk on said supporting member, said disk being forcibly projected by said actuating means at the release of said trigger.

6. A device of the character described comprisinga barrel housing formed into an ob-' long cross-section of a single sheet of material, a removable plug for one end of said housing,-a guide tube disposed in the upper portion of said housing extending longitudinally thereof, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said guide tube and said housing, actuating means for said plunger, a resilient supporting member on the outer endof said plunger, and a swatting disk on said supporting member, said disk being forcibly projected by said scribed my name.

CLYDE T. KIRKBY.

end of said plunger, and a swatting disk on 7 said supporting member, said disk being forcibly projected by said actuating means at the release of said trigger.

3. A device of the character described comprising a barrel housing, a plunger longitudinally reciprocal in said housing and comprisin a rod having an integrally formed U- shape offset portion on the inner end thereof and an end portion adjacent said ofi'set portion at substantially right angles to the axis of said rod, an elastic member lying adjacent said rod and extending between and connected to said offset portion and the outer end of said housing, a trigger for engaging said end portion of said plunger, a resilient supporting member on the outer end of said plunger, and a swatting disk on said supporting member, said disk being forcibly projected by said actuating means at the releaseof reciprocal in said guide tube and said housing, actuating means adjacent said plunger and extending substantially parallel therewith, a trigger for engaging said plunger, a

resilient supporting member on the outer end of said plunger, and a swatting disk on said 

